The Tennessee Kidney Foundation (TNF) hosted its annual Kidney Kaper Gala on April 21 to celebrate kidney donors and recipients. This year’s gala included a silent auction, dancing and entertainment and honored the nine transplant centers across the state.

Belmont University’s Songwriting Association (BUSA) paired with transplant donors and recipients to hear their stories and write songs of inspiration, hope and courage. Headed up by students Chuck Callaghan and Bailey White, the nine-person team wrote and performed its songs at the gala.

BUSA student and leader of the group Bailey White enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the individuals who have been impacted by organ donation and more importantly, to learn what she could do to help. “They taught me what an impact we can all have on someone’s life by doing something as simple as marking that organ donor box… they taught me perseverance and joy and to not take life for granted, to take in the small moments because they far outweigh the big ones,” she said.

The honorees of the gala felt the same way about the time the Belmont students spent taking their stories and writing songs that tell of the battles they’ve won and how important such a simple task is.

TNF’s Director of Development and Marketing and ’07 Belmont graduate Josie Hackworth said the relationship between the songwriters and honorees meant a lot to both groups. “The ability to share the story of giving life to another person is the most selfless act. The patients enjoyed talking to someone who was able to take all their feelings… and create a song that they will have forever. Anyone can give a plaque, but a song touches your heart,” she said.

This year distinguished alumnus and country superstar Brad Paisley established an endowed scholarship at Belmont to provide financial assistance for a deserving student with demonstrated need who is studying in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.

A 1995 graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Paisley majored in music business at what was then the Mike Curb School of Music Business. During his Belmont career, Paisley himself benefitted from a scholarship supported by Vince Gill and has long been committed to “paying it forward” to another deserving student.

The Curb College scholarship committee recently selected junior Entertainment Industry Studies major Allison Gale as the 2012-13 award recipient, based on her GPA, financial need and involvement at the college, university and community levels.

An avid entertainment blogger with career aspirations to work behind the scenes in theater tour production and later in music production, Gale said, “I am beyond humbled to receive this scholarship. To have the award come from Brad Paisley is even more amazing; he is part of the reason I came to Belmont in the first place. For my sixteenth birthday I went to my first major concert: Brad Paisley. Later that year my family took a road trip during which I discovered my love for Nashville. Inspired by knowing Brad went to college there, we visited Belmont University. I made up my mind I would go, I loved everything from the Christian roots of the school to the beauty of the campus. Years of waitressing nights and community college classes in the mornings later, I realized my dreams by transferring into Belmont. I have been so blessed to be able to finally attend, and now to receive this scholarship will open up my world from working two jobs to investing time in skills for the future.”